Abstract

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principle Federal statistical agency responsible for collecting and disseminating statistics on labor economics. BLS contracts with the States, the District of Columbia and some U.S. territories to collect and process establishment employment statistics and occupational safety and health statistics. These types of programs are called Federal-State cooperative programs. The BLS and the States enter into an agreement that defines the role of each partner. This paper will discuss the legal, methodological, and organizational issues on privacy and confidentiality associated with Federal-State cooperative programs.; Particular emphasis will be made on issues associated with sharing of the data between BLS and the States and researcher access to the data.